Colour fastness of walnut dye on cotton

Abstract

The term natural dye, cover all the dyes derived from natural resources such as plants, insects and animals. The colour fastness of a coloured textile is therefore defined as its resistance to changes when subjected to a particular set of conditions. Walnut (<i>Juglans regia</i> Linn.) is a large deciduous, monoecious tree, mostly grown in un-reclaimed and poor soil. In the present study an attempt has been made to dye cotton yarns with walnut bark dye and to test the colour fastness of dyed material against light, crocking, perspiration and washing. It has been found that walnut dye can be successfully used for dyeing of cotton. This dye may be useful in imparting number of fast shades on cotton using common mordants like Alum, FeSO₄, CuSO₄ and Chrome with good fastness properties. Thus, this dye may find its use in dyeing of cotton fabrics.